Tygyn Darkhan

Innokenty Tarbakhov, Yakutia’s most celebrated chef, began collecting and promoting local recipes and foods as early as the 1960s. He is believed to have originated the famous Indigirka salad with cold fish cut in cubes and dressed with salt, pepper and onion, with caviar topping on a special occasion. Tarbakhov says that Indigirka is based on the ethnic siikei or “five-minuter” hors d’oeuvre that is made with fresh broad whitefish. Indigirka variations have been making rounds across the country, but the original dish can be found at Tygyn Darkhan in central Yakutsk. Tarbakhov has been the chef of the restaurant for years bringing together almost the entirety of Yakutia’s culinary epic.